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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2018 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/april-npd-sam-fishers-grim-month/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/april-npd-sam-fishers-grim-month/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/april-npd-sam-fishers-grim-month/#comments

Apparently everybody was paying taxes last month instead of buying games, because despite analysts' expectations, sales for April were way down. As you can see below, sales dropped out on every single console that NPD tracked during April, with the Wii taking the biggest hit, down 50 percent from March. Hardware sales overall fell by 37 percent.

Software sales didn't do any better -- Splinter Cell Conviction was a bright spot and Super Street Fighter IV just barely made the list (which you can find after the break), but otherwise it was all leftovers from March and previous months. NPD reports that last month's 11 percent industry drop-off was the "worst year-over-year decline...since July '09, and the fourth largest year-over-year percentage decline ever." The industry got rained on -- here's hoping April showers bring some May flowers.

See the top 10 games after the break. (Note: Sales figures for the games ranked six through ten were withheld by NPD for unstated reasons.)
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april-2010dsgod-of-war-iiihardwarejust-dancemicrosoftnew-super-mario-bros-wiinintendonpdnpd-monthlysalessoftwaresplinter-cell-convictionsuper-street-fighter-ivwiiwii-fit-plusxbox-360Thu, 13 May 2010 19:30:00 -040011|19476865https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/how-god-of-war-3-could-have-ended/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/how-god-of-war-3-could-have-ended/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/how-god-of-war-3-could-have-ended/#comments

The God of War trilogy ended in the recent God of War 3 with Kratos [redacted]. But each God of War game before 3 (directed by Stig Asmussen) had a different director, and, as Asmussen told GamePro, each director had a different idea of how to end the saga of Angry Man Kratos.

Series creator David Jaffe had stories in mind beyond Greek myth. "Basically, you destroy Greek mythology and then Norse mythology is right around the corner," Asmussen recounted. "That's the next thing that Kratos would go after. It becomes clear at the end that he's going to become this harbinger of death across different mythologies in the world and maybe carry the series on from there." God of War 2 director Cory Barlog's ending, according to Asmussen, would turn Kratos into Death.
"He pretty much becomes the Grim Reaper at the end of the game and his blades become sickles."

1UP points out that Jaffe had issues with both claims. On Twitter, Jaffe said that the Norse mythology idea was more complicated than Asmussen made it sound. "There is an element of truth but it goes far beyond." Later, he clarified further: "For the love of the Gods, I was NOT proposing Kratos go thru each mythology one by one and milk the series with new myths each time. It was to be a focused singular story that INVOLVED Norse myths- among others." He also mentioned that the "Death" idea attributed to Barlog was actually his.
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cory-barlogdavid-jaffegod-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiisony-santa-monicastig-asmussenThu, 29 Apr 2010 21:00:00 -040011|19459245https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/mystery-spartan-stands-tall-on-god-of-war-teaser-site/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/mystery-spartan-stands-tall-on-god-of-war-teaser-site/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/mystery-spartan-stands-tall-on-god-of-war-teaser-site/#comments

Click to enlarge

A mystery figure has appeared in the latest update to the God of War teaser site "SpartansStandTall." His reflection (captured above) momentarily flashes on screen during the video loop of the site's rendered thunderstorm. This is the second update to the site; its URL is revealed to players that unlock the God of War 3 Platinum Trophy.

The apparent meter that circles the icon in the upper right corner of the full screen (not pictured) is now three-quarters full (it was one-quarter full to start and was filled to halfway upon the first update), suggesting that the next update will display a full meter and perhaps the ultimate reveal. (DLC? Spin-off? 3D Blu-ray movie? It's anyone's guess.) The icon itself is thought to be representative of the Spartan army's shield; the upside-down "V" being the Greek letter Lamba, standing for "Lacedaemon" (what the ancient Greeks called Sparta).

So who is this mystery man? He certainly looks like he could be angry. And anger has always fueled this franchise, which still has some venting to do.

The ill-timed announcement of the 3DS wasn't enough to scare consumers off from purchasing new DS systems. Thanks to the combination of a new hardware variant (the big, big, big DSi XL) and new Pokemon games, the dual-screened platform sold like gangbusters. Meanwhile, hardware shortages kept the PS3 from massive sales despite the fact that it had the best-selling game of March (God of War 3).

Speaking of software, we've learned a lot about you from this month. For example, Final Fantasy fans strongly prefer PS3, Battlefield fans strongly prefer 360, and Pokemon fans' dollar votes went to SoulSilver over HeartGold by quite a lot. How do you even decide something like that? Seriously, one of the 1.78 million or so of you who bought it -- take us through your process!

See the top 10 games after the break.
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dsdsi-xlfinal-fantasy-xiiigod-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiimicrosoftnintendonpdnpd-monthlypokemonwiixbox-360Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:15:00 -040011|19442068https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/psa-god-of-war-trilogy-retail-partners-still-being-worked-out/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/psa-god-of-war-trilogy-retail-partners-still-being-worked-out/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/psa-god-of-war-trilogy-retail-partners-still-being-worked-out/#comments

There seems to be a tiny bit of confusion going on over in Europe after the God of War Trilogy bundle was removed by some retailers. Eurogamer clarifies that the set isn't canceled, but that Sony is still working out who the retail partners will be for the special edition. The takeaway here is that not all shops will sell the item, which explains the pre-order cancellations we've received tips about.

Barring any hiccups, the Trilogy should release the last week of April in PAL lands for €89.99 (£64.99). Oh, and if you're wondering about picking up God of War 3, well, we liked it.
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[Thanks, Miguel B.]
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europegod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiigod-of-war-trilogyretailsonysony-santa-monicaTue, 13 Apr 2010 13:45:00 -040011|19437867https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/29/the-art-of-god-of-war-iii-at-gallery-nucleus/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/29/the-art-of-god-of-war-iii-at-gallery-nucleus/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/29/the-art-of-god-of-war-iii-at-gallery-nucleus/#comments

The God of War III art team held a panel this past weekend in Alhambra, California, at a place called Gallery Nucleus. In front of an audience packed to capacity, artists (from left to right above) Scott Seeto, Jung Ho Park, Izzy, Andy Park, Cecil Kim, and Andrew Kim spoke and answered questions about how they'd come up with the art designs for Kratos' final story ("as far as I know," Cecil Kim said, "there is no more God of War").

They were first asked about bringing the game into the HD generation, and how that affected their work on the games. Mostly, it just meant more work for them -- they pointed out that even when the camera isn't close-up on Kratos, you can still see the muscles in his back tense as he pulls out his blades. Art designers in HD have to be meticulous about details, and as a result, character development takes about six times longer. The team also said that they were impressed by the PS3 hardware -- on the PS2 versions of the game, the developers knew how far they could push the older console, but on the PS3, "we still don't know what we can do with it."

Earning a Platinum Trophy in God of War III will give you an elusive reward: a link to a secret page, hidden on the God of War website. The "Spartans Stand Tall" website doesn't feature much right now, other than falling rain and a shield with an upside-down V, possibly a Lambda sign -- wait, does this mean we're finally getting the Half-Life/God of War crossover we've been waiting for?

This could simply be a placeholder website for upcoming God of War DLC. Or, this could be hinting at a new Ready at Dawn-developed PSP game we've heard murmurs about. In fact, Chains of Olympus was revealed in exactly the same way, via a website hidden in God of War II on PS2. Considering the franchise's penchant for announcing new installments alongside the latest releases, we wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being a brand new game in the God of War universe. Stay tuned.

Are you working your way to a Platinum in God of War III? You may want to check out this video, which helps you net Hit Man, one of the more challenging Trophies in the game. To get the award, you must perform a 1000 hit combo. Should your fighting skills not be up to snuff, there are two easy (but time consuming) ways of getting the achievement. It can take upwards of 20 minutes of mindless button mashing, but it's a sure-fire way of making sure you get the Bronze Trophy.

Anger management simulator God of War III cost $44 million to create, according to director of production development John Hight, which is "right within budget." Speaking with Giant Bomb, Hight revealed that the team of 132 staff required to finish the third installment was more than double the crew (of about 60) on hand to wrap up God of War II, with the biggest growth occurring in the graphics and art departments.

Considering the ultimate Kratos adventure will likely go on to become a phenomenal sales hit, the $44 million budget isn't as ridiculous as it might seem. Consider that Gran Turismo 5's budget, at last count, had reportedly ballooned to around the $60 million mark. On the other hand, Ken Levine previously put the first BioShock's budget at about $15 million. With such variation in current-gen development costs, in the end, the price is just a number -- and in the case of God of War III, it was certainly worth the dough.
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[Via Edge]
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budgetgod-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiijohn-hightsanta-monica-studiosony-santa-monicaTue, 09 Mar 2010 11:06:00 -050011|19389510https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/08/god-of-war-3-review/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/08/god-of-war-3-review/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/08/god-of-war-3-review/#comments

You know how Kratos' battle against the gods of Olympus is known for its massive, insane action sequences spread throughout? Well, some genius (or likely several geniuses) at Sony's Santa Monica Studio had the brilliant idea of making a whole game just out of those incredible moments. It was rare that I went 15 minutes without my jaw dropping at the immense size, stunning beauty or sheer creativity of the set piece I was now scaling or destroying.

Like good, sane people, our friends at AOL Radio are huge fans of God of War. They've not only managed to add the entire God of War III original soundtrack to the Video Games Score station, but they're also giving away a free downloadable MP3 from the upcoming PS3 game. "Brothers of Blood," composed by Cris Velasco, has everything you'd expect from a God of War instrumental track: a brass-heavy orchestral score with dramatic choral singing.

Should you want your morning commute to get a little more vengeance-y, head over to the AOL Radio blog to download the MP3 onto your favorite MP3 player.
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downloadgod-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiimp3soundtrackFri, 05 Mar 2010 14:15:00 -050011|19385020https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/kratos-talks-fashion-in-gamestop-god-of-war-3-video/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/kratos-talks-fashion-in-gamestop-god-of-war-3-video/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/04/kratos-talks-fashion-in-gamestop-god-of-war-3-video/#comments

You've got to hand it to those PlayStation and GameStop marketing people: They know how to speak our language. Take note, wannabees: If you've got an exclusive God of War IIIoutfit to show off, you could show Kratos flipping out and killing people in it. But why do that when you could show him having a polite conversation with a mythological beast about his ensemble choice? Why indeed.

Fun fact: Kratos has more dialog in this trailer than in God of War I and II combined. It's true!
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god-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiisanta-monica-studiosonyThu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -050011|19383255https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/god-of-war-blood-and-metal-for-1-99/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/god-of-war-blood-and-metal-for-1-99/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/god-of-war-blood-and-metal-for-1-99/#comments

We know that there are a few cutlery enthusiasts out there who read that headline and immediately clicked the source link to purchase Kratos' Blade of Chaos from retailer BUDK. Before you do so, you should take into account a few facts:

Kratos' weapons are being sold piecemeal on the site, so that $123.99 price tag only represents the cost of a single Blade. What's the point of having a single Blade of Chaos? Unless you're ironically cosplaying as Amputee Kratos, you're going to need two, so you should mentally jack that price up to $247.98.

Replica swords are dangerous.

Replica swords that you attach to your wrists with chains and then swing around like a madman are extremely dangerous.

Although it commanded a large presence at E3, Sony has been otherwise quiet about God of War III. With the game's release only weeks away, Sony has opened the floodgates, revealing new footage, highlighting new levels, and most importantly, advertising the game on TV. The European markets are treated to an ad which simply states "Revenge Starts Here." The ad doesn't need a gimmick: it simply relies on real-time footage of the game.

John Hight runs Sony's Santa Monica studio and oversees the entire God of War 3 team. He makes sure that everyone is happy, that the game is going to ship on time, and that it's going to be something you'll want to play. Read on to learn more from him about the the future of the franchise, the possibility of multiplayer, the God of War movie and why he hasn't played Dante's Inferno (yet).
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god-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiiinterviewjohn-hightsanta-monica-studioscesonysony-santa-monicaMon, 01 Mar 2010 13:55:00 -050011|19375606https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/01/god-of-war-3-lead-combat-designer-adam-puhl-interview/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/01/god-of-war-3-lead-combat-designer-adam-puhl-interview/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/01/god-of-war-3-lead-combat-designer-adam-puhl-interview/#comments

As lead combat designer of God of War III, Adam Puhl has the enviable position of creating an arsenal of weapons and abilities fit to take down the gods. I recently spoke with Adam about the design process for such a titanic task and the pressures of surpassing the first two God of War games. Additionally, Adam offered his gameplay reactions to Dante's Inferno and Darksiders, two recent action-adventures that owe a lot to the God of War series.

Read on after the break for the full interview.
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adam-puhlgod-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiiinterviewsanta-monica-studioscesonysony-santa-monicaMon, 01 Mar 2010 12:57:00 -050011|19375353https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/26/god-of-war-iii-features-first-person-kills/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/26/god-of-war-iii-features-first-person-kills/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/26/god-of-war-iii-features-first-person-kills/#comments

"You finally get the chance to see what it's like to be killed by Kratos," Adam Puhl explained to Geoff Keighley in the latest episode of GameTrailers TV. Although described as "first person kills," we'd argue that they should be coined "second person kills" -- you are doing the killing, after all. Regardless of the terminology, these interactive sequences are likely to represent some of the most gruesome moments of the entire franchise. For us, this footage represented the highlight of last night's episode.

The 21-minute special includes a rather comprehensive look at God of War III, but be warned of potential spoilers. You will see some new bosses, and even a new power that enhances the combat rather significantly. It's only a few weeks away until the game's release, so let's find out if you have the willpower not to visit GameTrailers.
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gametrailers-tvgod-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiigttvFri, 26 Feb 2010 17:20:00 -050011|19375266https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/26/listen-to-god-of-war-iii-blood-and-metal-at-aol-radio/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/26/listen-to-god-of-war-iii-blood-and-metal-at-aol-radio/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/26/listen-to-god-of-war-iii-blood-and-metal-at-aol-radio/#comments

The station plays songs randomly, so you may not immediately hear all of these ditties; however, it should give you a good idea of what's included in the $100 premium box you probably already pre-ordered.
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aol-radiodream-theatergod-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiikillswitchmutiny-withinopethsoundtracktaking-dawntriviumFri, 26 Feb 2010 16:17:00 -050011|19375647https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/god-of-war-3-wont-sacrifice-your-time-with-hdd-install/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/god-of-war-3-wont-sacrifice-your-time-with-hdd-install/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/god-of-war-3-wont-sacrifice-your-time-with-hdd-install/#comments

We can only imagine that if Kratos were a real person (wait -- he's not?), the idea of having to wait for God of War 3to install a portion of itself onto the PS3's hard disk wouldn't sit too well with the rage-filled Spartan. Heck, even we don't dig mandatory installs. It's a good thing, then, that God of War 3 won't have one -- this according to Sony Santa Monica director of technology, Christer Ericson.

Ericson stated via Twitter that, "God of War 3 does NOT do a HD install. The 5MB listed on box back is for save game only." This is in stark contrast to other games (yes, we're talking about you, Devil May Cry 4) that require -- nay, demand! -- multi-gigabyte mandatory installations. Of course, for some, the ability to install an entire game to the PS3 hard disk, potentially cutting down on loading time is a welcome option -- but it won't be for GOW3. "No there is no HD install option," Ericson replied when asked if the game will allow for it.

Given that the final back cover of the God of War 3's box only lists the 5MB space requirement, this pretty much rules out the game secretly carving out HDD space for caching data -- data that would eventually translate into images of Kratos carving up enemies on-screen.

Source -- TwitterSource -- Twitter
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god-of-wargod-of-war-iiihddmandatory-installsonysony-santa-monicaTue, 23 Feb 2010 19:00:00 -050011|19370218https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/lgj-dantes-infringement-or-lack-thereof/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/lgj-dantes-infringement-or-lack-thereof/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/lgj-dantes-infringement-or-lack-thereof/#commentsMark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq ("LGJ"), a column on legal issues as they relate to video games:

While I'm still waiting for my copy of Dante's Inferno, I have been checking out the review sites, Achievement guides and message boards in preparation for the arrival of the game. One question that keeps being asked over and over again, between many different boards, is "How is EA not being sued over this game?" While the overwhelming majority of these posts reference God of War, I have even seen mention of a "license" to Inferno (as a part of the Divine Comedy). Before I begin, I know many people might have issue with me writing this before playing, but I can assure you between the videos available online and the demo, I've experienced enough of the game to be able to come to a simple conclusion: No infringement here.

Let's get the latter, more absurd suggestion off the table first. There's not now, nor will there ever a be, a license to Inferno, the epic poem by Dante. Why is that? It's a part of the public domain. It, as a work, would have been eligible for copyright had such laws been in place at the time, but even with the modern expansive rules, the copyright would have ended hundreds of year ago. After all, taking the normal 'life of the author plus 70 years' for works created after 1978 in the US, 70 years after Dante's death was 1391. We're well past 600 years after Dante's death at this point; in fact, 2021 will mark the 700 year anniversary of Dante's death, 10 times the length granted by statute. So, this particular statement was absurd even for forum posts, but the idea that Dante's Inferno infringes on God of War isn't much more sound.
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copyrightdantes-infernofeaturesgod-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiiinfringementlawlaw-of-the-gamelawsuitlgjTue, 16 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -050011|19351245https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/15/spike-tv-holding-casting-calls-for-nightmarish-god-of-war-3-cont/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/15/spike-tv-holding-casting-calls-for-nightmarish-god-of-war-3-cont/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/15/spike-tv-holding-casting-calls-for-nightmarish-god-of-war-3-cont/#comments

Good news, The Tester -- you're off the hook for being the worst idea for a video game-themed game show. Look sharp, Spike TV's recently announced God of War 3 promotion/contest Last Titan Standing -- you're officially on notice.

According to a recent press release announcing the show's casting call, Last Titan Standing (which airs the night before GoW 3's March 16 release) pits players against one another for a chance to play the game "before the rest of the world." Kind of a lackluster prize -- what will they be doing to win it? Well, according to the casting call: "The story, puzzles, and straight-up action in God of War 3 will be recreated and YOU can be standing in the midst of the battles."

Thanks, but no thanks, Last Titan Standing -- all things considered, putting up with pre-order panhandling from our friendly neighborhood GameStop clerk is marginally more bearable than getting our arms ripped off by a minotaur.
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contestgame-showgod-of-wargod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiilast-titan-standingscea-santa-monicasonyspike-tvMon, 15 Feb 2010 16:00:00 -050011|19358518https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/gamestop-handing-out-giant-kratos-poster-with-god-of-war-iii-pre/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/gamestop-handing-out-giant-kratos-poster-with-god-of-war-iii-pre/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/gamestop-handing-out-giant-kratos-poster-with-god-of-war-iii-pre/#comments

Do your living quarters need more art installations featuring massive, ashen dudes wielding massive, angry blades? You're in luck -- a recent PlayStation.Blog post has revealed that folks who pre-order God of War III at GameStop will not only gain access to an exclusive "Phantom of Chaos" in-game costume, they'll also snag a 17 x 24 poster of Kratos, signed by the game's concept artist, Andy Park.

To catch a glimpse of the poster, check out the full scan after the jump. It's going to look a lot like that, only without the words "FOR DISPLAY ONLY" plastered proudly across its midsection. (We hope!)
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andy-parkbonusgamestopgod-of-wargod-of-war-iiikratosposterpre-orderFri, 12 Feb 2010 13:15:00 -050011|19356218https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/god-of-war-3-trailer-will-boulder-you-over/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/god-of-war-3-trailer-will-boulder-you-over/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/god-of-war-3-trailer-will-boulder-you-over/#comments

Are all those Xbox 360 megatons getting a bit monotonous? Here, try something in PS3 flavor. Specifically, a brand new God of War 3 trailer. In it, Kratos proves that, for him, carrying around a big boulder is no Sisyphean task. In fact, it becomes somewhat of an improbable method of propulsion. The game also puts a giant monster on an even bigger giant so Kratos can fight while he fights.

Wait, you're telling us you still haven't played that demo for God of War III which we got our hands on like, eight months ago? What, did you not get one of the download codes that came bundled with District 9 and the God of War Collection? We're trying not to be too condescending, it's just ... look, we're already playing the demo for God of War IV. If you don't make the effort to catch up, then what are we even doing here?

Consider this your last chance: According to a recent Playstation.Blog post, the next episode of Qore will land on the PSN alongside a God of War III demo, which will be available to the program's subscribers. Why not pick it up, and attempt to close the ever-widening gap between us, dear readers? We miss you.
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demogod-of-war-3god-of-war-iiiplaystation-storepsnqoresonyThu, 04 Feb 2010 13:15:00 -050011|19345150